First, Sandy Naranja filed a lawsuit against Mickey Kasparian, head of the powerful San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135, alleging wrongful termination and gender discrimination. It got more troubling: Another union worker, Isabel Vasquez, soon filed another lawsuit alleging a years-long, coercive sexual relationship with Kasparian that she engaged in out of fear of losing her job. This month, Melody Godinez, a county government employee and labor activist, filed a third lawsuit, alleging Kasparian groped her, propositioned her for group sex and once forcefully pinned her down in his office in an attempt to initiate sex. Three other employees told Voice of San Diego working under Kasparian was toxic, and that he ruled by fear and was especially controlling of women. Another worker, Anabel Arauz, said she was fired for supporting women who spoke out against Kasparian.

Kasparian has denied all of the allegations. He said none of the charges of inappropriate sexual behavior ever happened, and that he’s been nothing but a champion for working women. He told the Union-Tribune he intends to file defamation suits against some of his accusers.